Pages

Crafty in the Med

I'm here to enjoy meeting other crafters and to share my ideas and projects. I love to crochet,cross stitch and embroidery but I'm keen to try new crafts too. I love music and I love to sing! Singing makes me happy. I collect jugs....its their shape I think! I am addicted to yarn and buttons. I get lost in book shops and can spend all morning there and I absolutely adore rummaging in flea markets. I love to read sci´fi/fantasy,buried treasure, and off world adventures. I have a passion for history! I would be the first passenger on the first time machine ! I BELIEVE IN MAGIC!

Saturday, 18 October 2014

I said all that and more!
Sr P also peered in among the goodies lifting up a parcel here and there while he sniffed and said ......it smells of cinnamon.
The presentation of it all was so alluring that I was dying to get to and open up all the little parcels. It made for some enjoyable moments as we oohed and ahhed as I unwrapped each parcel.

I am participating in Blueberry Hearts Golden Autumn Swap

and the previous introduction is a brief description of first impressions of the contents of the swap parcel I received from Ellie at Feltabulous last Thursday. As luck would have it we also received each others swap parcels practically simultaneously so you can find the contents of what I sent to Ellie here in her latest post.

Let me show you because the contents indeed must be seen as Ellie has been extremely generous.

How about that then? Glorious,isn't it?

As you can see everything was wrapped up in Autumn colours (so.... nice brings to mind home and walks in the woods . You just don't get those colours here!) You can see there's a lovely bunch of ribbons ,a felt ball garland (so soft),some pretty tape, a silk mini bunting,a Lincoln City fridge magnet(it is actually on my fridge door now. I have four from different swaps so I think it is the start of a collection. What I particularly like are the fine tip pens!!! This is quite a coincidence actually because I've been having ideas of going back to something I used to do years ago and it involves fine tip pens. I was thinking of buying a couple and starting on this idea over the summer months but it got pushed to one side. I think now ....this is destiny saying go on do it and Ellie's gift is prompting me to go ahead :-)

Here we find where the wonderful cinnamon smell comes from...the candles. All of them smell extremely nice but I do like the Cinnamon Stick one particularly. I mean for Sr P to sniff it out straight away is something as he couldn't care less about candles or nice air freshener smells!
Look buttons ...more for my collection and lace!!! Love it!

More goodies!!!
The bracelets are wonderful. I have already worn the orange one and it is very comfortable. I very often do not wear bracelets as they bother me ;this one does not. I do like the idea of the picture giving a description of the different types of beads used.
Do you see the burnt orange felt heart? Ellie made that and from Merino Wool!!
There is more. A notebook,postcards,a key ring which is now hanging from my bag handle, love those pretty stones dangling from the side of my handbag.A Traditional English recipe booklet . I'm thinking of scanning off a couple of those recipes for my students. I can use that in class and it will also show them we do not eat sandwiches or fast food all the time,as they seem to think so.

I am trying to pump as much gratefulness and sincere sense of pleasure into this post as possible to try and portray just how much I appreciate these marvelous swap gifts. Ellie has been most thoughtful as I can see she has taken into account just what I like. Thank you so much Ellie for the care and consideration to me a stranger that you have shown in the selection of swap gifts that you have sent me.
Thank you also to Blueberry Heart for hosting such a wonderful swap and I look forward to next years as well.

I have been thoroughly spoilt these last few days I received something else and this time from the USA but I'll leave that for my next post.

I'll just add a photo of what I am working on at the moment

30 Granny squares done and 32 to go.....groan!!!! As I mentioned in my previous post ...noooo it is not a blanket! Can you guess what it is going to be??? :-)

Wednesday, 8 October 2014

I have travelled a bit not as much as I would like to though. I enjoy travelling immensely. I also seem to have this anxiety to get to know other cultures,to see and explore new places.
However the title of my post is a little misleading because it is not my intention to boast about or bore you with an itinerary of countries I have been too but quite the opposite.

I was reading Gracie from One Saylors blog recent post about "Gathering across America" and was greatly admiring her lovely photos of her family and her trip; such a beautiful part of the States. I was indulging in thoughts of that scenic part of the USA that she lives in and travels to when it came to mind just how much I do enjoy the images that bloggy friends post on their blogs, showing where they live or where they go on holiday or even if they have redecorated a part of their house or moved to a new home. It is like a window to another land, indeed a virtual window of course. I know it is never the same as actually seeing it in real life but nevertheless I count myself lucky that I am in contact with bloggers in many far away places who post some really fascinating and interesting photos.
I have mentioned in the past that I am a very visual person. I am indeed and images for me are really stimulating. They open my mind. They stir my imagination,they make me form an opinion ( not always right may I say.... I am not clairvoyant) and of course produce umpteen questions,which I do not ask so as not to be impolite. If you don't understand what I am trying to describe can I just give you an example.
Lets see!
We are often shown photos of a new born which we admire because babies are always beautiful and so tiny and adorable. I do that of course but then I look at the rest and masses of thoughts go through my mind and I could be thinking perhaps......(there will be no commas throughout the next paragraph as my thoughts are usually erratic in this situationandduring those moments there is no such thing as punctuation)

......looks like it is sunny the light is shining off the handle bars of the pram and it was taken outside in the garden but that looks more like a park than a garden as I can see the sides of a bench and it looks like a public bench and there is a tag sticking up from a bush beside a lovely flower so got to be somewhere public the baby has to be too warm because she/he has too many covers over him/her I like the blanket definitely crochet I wonder if it is cotton or yarn but what is that hanging from the side looks like a good luck charm ....bla bla and bla.

Ok now don't laugh it is really more or less like that!!!
Some would say I am just observant but I'm inclined to think it goes beyond that.
Now I'm sure you didn't really want to know about how I need to see images to understand more so to cut a long story short receiving photos even those of your home are one of the reasons that I enjoy blogging so much because I feel in some small way that I am travelling there to where you live!!!

***********************

Now then you all had a bit of a giggle ...didn't you over my last post ? On reading some of the comments I have received I'm pretty sure that is so. I thought I would reply to some of the comments here on this post for a change:

Dear Annie at Annie Cholewa
(Nude snorkelling ... would it be a first I wonder?)
reply: "ummmm ... no idea ....... but I certainly do not plan to be the first one to do it"

Sharon at From My Front Porch
(The bit about going nude made me giggle.)
reply: "I knew it at least someone admits it."

Elaine at Bramble Rambles
(Nude bathing...no, my wobbly bits are best covered. Besides, I imagine
I would be so scared of being seen that I would turn into a salt water
prune while waiting for the coast to be clear enough for me to emerge
from the sea into the safety of a towel!)
reply: I'm afraid to disappoint you all but I would probably do exactly the same!!!

Meredith at Mereknits
(You are so funny, it would be my luck to to run into someone I know
while trying the nudest thing. And let me just say this 50 year old
body doesn't need to be seen by anyone tha tis for sure.)

reply:" to be sure Meredith .... you took the words right out of my mouth"

Penny at The Hen House
(I love snorkelling but haven't skinny dipped since I was 26 & fairly sure I' not likely to again !)
reply: "yes! I did my stint of skinny dipping during sweltering hot evenings when it was nice and dark and no one could see you ....that is I used to until a twit shone the headlights of his car on the bit of water I was jumping up and down in . That ended it ....so very ungracious of him!!!!

Linda at Linda's Crafty Corner(I had to have a giggle at the thought of you running into one of your
students while you were in the nude doesn't bear thinking about haha xxx)
Reply: "yes ha! ha!....there you are more giggles . I certainly would not be giggling if that ever happened, I blush just to think about it!"

Sue at Mrs Micawber(Snorkeling sounds wonderful, and your idea of a sandal business sounds very profitable. :)
reply " there you are someone one who can see the sensible side of things ...it really could be a good business, trouble is my people skills would severely suffer as I wouldn't be able to look my customers in the eye!In fact I just wouldn't be able to look at them full stop! Bad ...very bad for business!!!

I've left this one for the lastMum at Mum's Simply living blog
(Eat your heart out Sr P, your wife's heart is well and truly in the
right place bringing joy to Blogland with her wonderful tales.
xx
PS I'm sure his heart is also in the right place - just go steady on that nudist beach!
xx )
Reply: "Lovely compliment Mum which makes me feel so good as I am so glad you enjoyed my last post. If it brought a smile (or giggle) to your face and to my other boggy friends then it was worth writing :-) "

The five hour course I usually give Saturday mornings is starting up later this year so I was for once able to attend the neighbours' end of the summer seafood barbeque. Needless to say it was wonderfully relaxing and I had a great time. We cracked silly jokes,did impersonations,danced ,sang and had a a daft time which was fantastic it started about 2:00pm (lunchtime here) and it was still going strong when I came away at 7:30 pm. I have been told today they finished about 1:00am in the morning!!!!!

Nothing to show you at present crochet wise except that I'm on my 15th Granny Square and I have to make 62 approx and Nooooo... I am not making a blanket!!!

Keep well now!

Amanda :-)

PS: this was mostly written on Sunday but do you think I could finish it .... impossible not even a breather until now!